Constellations: A Guide to the Night Sky

Betelgeuse

The Winter Hexagon, also known as the Winter Circle, is a prominent winter asterism formed by seven stars prominent in the winter sky. These are Rigel in Orion, Aldebaran in Taurus, Capella in Auriga, Castor and Pollux in Gemini, Procyon in Canis Minor, and Sirius in Canis Major constellation. Sirius and Procyon are also part … [Read more…]

The Winter Triangle, or the Great Southern Triangle, is an asterism formed by three bright stars in prominent winter constellations. These stars are Betelgeuse in Orion, Procyon in Canis Minor and Sirius in Canis Major constellation. The Winter Triangle is prominent in the night sky in the northern hemisphere during the winter months, from December … [Read more…]

The Cone Nebula is a famous H II region located in the constellation Monoceros, the Unicorn. It lies at an approximate distance of 2,700 light years from Earth and is located in the Orion Arm of the Milky Way. The nebula is part of the larger star forming region around the Christmas Tree Cluster. The … [Read more…]

The Christmas Tree Cluster is a young open cluster located in the constellation Monoceros. It is part of the NGC 2264 region, along with the Cone Nebula and the Fox Fur Nebula, and belongs to the Monoceros OB1 association, a loose association of very young stars located in the Orion Arm of the Milky Way.

VY Canis Majoris (VY CMa) is an exceptionally large, luminous red hypergiant star located in the constellation Canis Major. With a radius about 1,420 times that of the Sun, corresponding to a diameter of 13.2 astronomical units, VY Canis Majoris is one of the largest known stars in the Milky Way. The star lies at … [Read more…]

The Orionids (Orionid Meteor Shower) are an annual meteor shower that occurs between October 16 and October 27. The meteor shower peaks around October 21 with a zenithal hourly rate of 20 to 25 meteors. The exact dates vary from year to year, as does the hourly rate. The Orionids sometimes also have double peaks. … [Read more…]

Aldebaran, Alpha Tauri, also known as the Eye of Taurus, is an orange giant star located at a distance of 65 light years from Earth. It is the brightest star in Taurus constellation and the 14th brightest star in the night sky. Aldebaran has a luminosity 518 times that of the Sun (153 times in … [Read more…]